The war is no longer in Trump’s hands, Iran has changed its mind

The US and Israel have pushed the Middle East into a rapidly deteriorating crisis by starting a war against Iran, influential US Senator Chris Murphy has said. He warned that President Donald Trump has 'lost control' of the conflict.

Murphy, a Democrat in the Senate, made the warning in a series of posts on the social media platform X. According to him, the war has already plunged the entire region into a spiral of violence.

Murphy wrote that it is now clear that Trump has lost control of this war. He had a serious misconception about Iran's ability to strike back. The entire region is now burning.

He added that the first crisis has taken root in the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow waterway through which more than 20 percent of the world's oil and gas is supplied. Murphy warned that Washington had underestimated the Iranians’ ability to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz supply chain.

He wrote that Trump believed Iran would not close the Strait of Hormuz. He was wrong. And now oil prices are skyrocketing.

The senator said Iran’s use of drones, speedboats and naval mines has made the waterway extremely difficult to secure. He added that these weapons “cannot be eliminated. They are too numerous, too widespread and too hidden.”

Murphy said that escorting oil tankers through the strait would put the US Navy at serious risk.

Trump was wrong

He said the second crisis was created by the growing role of drones in modern warfare.

He wrote that Iran could strike oil installations in the region indefinitely because it has a large number of cheap and well-armed drones.

Pointing to the attacks in the Gulf, Murphy said they have disrupted shipping and fuel production. He warned that the Ukraine war had already shown how drones have changed the face of modern conflict.

If Trump had paid even the slightest attention to the Ukraine war, he would have noticed how much the tactics of war had changed. But he didn’t. And that’s where he made his big mistake.

At the same time, air defenses across the region are under immense strain. As the war enters its third week, Israel has already warned Washington that its stockpile of ballistic missile interceptors is running low.

Murphy said the conflict is also expanding geographically.

A larger regional war is brewing; Iranian proxies in Lebanon are striking Israel, and groups in Iraq are targeting the United States. Israel is now threatening a major ground operation in Lebanon, which could itself become a new crisis. He warned that other fronts could soon be on fire.

Trump has no endgame

Murphy said that so far, the Houthis in Yemen have been relatively quiet. It is likely not for long. They could show their strength in the Red Sea.

Since the Gaza massacre began in October 2023, the Houthis have largely blocked shipping on that route in protest.

Syria could also be plunged into violence again, Murphy said.

“For Syria, this is the worst possible time for Trump to attack Iran. Syria could explode again.” The final crisis, Murphy said, is the lack of a plan to end the war.

He noted that Trump has no “endgame.” Iran and its proxies could continue to wreak havoc indefinitely. He warned that a U.S. ground operation would have dire consequences. It will turn into an ‘Armageddon’ with thousands of Americans dead.

Murphy also said that even if he declares victory and withdraws troops, the problem will not be solved.

‘Declare a false victory? Then the hardliners in power in Iran will rebuild what we have destroyed.’

Finally, he called on the administration to stop the war.

‘All of this was completely predictable. Frankly, that is why previous presidents were not so foolish as to start such a war.’

He said that Trump has lost control of the war. The best course for him now is to minimize the damage and end it. This is the only way to prevent a greater catastrophe.

Source: Middle East Eye.